Week 06

by Grace Hunter

 

Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.

‘For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.’ Matthew 6:12,14-15 NIV

This section of the Lord’s prayer, also known as the disciple’s prayer, addresses forgiveness in verses 12, 14 and 15. But in between, we are told by Jesus to pray, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one,” Matthew 6:13 NIV. Why do you think this is sandwiched between these verses on forgiveness? Especially in light of, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;” James 1:13 NIV.

I got to visit my kids in Ft. Collins this weekend as I was pondering this question. My son-in-law is a pastor of a small church in Longmont, and we enjoy discussing his upcoming sermons and my devotional writings. He suggested I look at his copy of John Stott’s book, Christian Counter-Culture. John Stott’s opinion is, “The sinner whose evil in the past has been forgiven, longs to be delivered from its tyranny in the future.” Perhaps this is one reason why this verse is in between these other verses focused on forgiveness. John Stott explains why we should pray the phrase “lead us not into temptation”. He says, “The probable answer is that the prayer is more that we may overcome temptation, than that we may avoid it.” (Stott, p. 150).

Carolyn Schmidt gave me this little book called Fifty-Seven Words That Change the World, by Darrell W. Johnson. It has many good insights into the Lord’s prayer, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to take a deeper dive into understanding the Lord’s prayer and into praying it more effectively. I like the way he paraphrases this verse.

“Our Father, we cannot stand up under very much pressure. We are not wise enough to recognize and then counter the work of the evil one. When you lead us to the test, when life itself brings us to the test, do not let the test become a temptation, but rescue us. Rescue us from the subtle strategies of the evil one, help us to trust you.” Fifty-Seven Words That Change the World, (Johnson, p. 98).

I want to end with the full “expanded” way that Darrell Johnson prays the Lord’s Prayer (p. 113). May it bless you and give you insights into praying the Lord’s Prayer for yourself and others.

Our Father,
very close at hand,
on the throne of the universe:

Be hallowed(!) your name,
on earth as it is in heaven;

Come(!) your kingdom,
on earth as it is in heaven;

Be done(!) your will
on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day all we need to be your people.

Cancel our debts,
as we have cancelled the debts of our debtors.

And as you lead us to the test,
do not let the test become a temptation,
but rescue us from the twisting wiles of the evil-one.
(He wants us to think that you are not as good as Jesus says you are.)

All this, and more, you can do,
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power
and the glory.

Forever!
So be it.

              

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Red Couch Theology Podcast

Sermon Conversations with Alex and Aaron

There’s only so much we can cover in a Sunday morning gathering!
Each week, you’re invited to tune into our LIVE podcast at 11 am on Thursdays – recorded (and sometimes prerecorded) for later, online viewing.

What can you expect? Pastors Alex, Aaron and the occasional guest, having a casual conversation diving deeper into ideas related to last Sunday’s teaching:

Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 6:13

“but if you do allow me down a path fraught with trials, please help me out the other side”

See also, 1 Corinthians 10:13

Questions may be sent through
https://redcouchtheology.com/  

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by Carolyn Schmitt

My, how time flies!  Just three months ago it was the first Sunday in Advent, then we celebrated Jesus’s birth and the start of 2024 and now we are three weeks into Lent, and in less than a month it will be Easter Sunday.

“One day at a time,” is a comment many of us make as we are going through difficult times. I  wonder if Jesus might have thought, maybe even have said it as he grew to adulthood in Nazareth. 

From the time he was born, the only time we get news of him is recorded in Luke 2:41-52, when, as a twelve year old boy, he is in Jerusalem sitting in the temple courts conversing with the teachers there. The only words we “hear” him say are, “Why were you searching for me. Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Then he went back to Nazareth, was obedient to Joseph and Mary and, “… grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” 

Thirty years have passed, one day at a time, when we see him next at his baptism.

The Baptism of Jesus

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:13-17

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 

After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:  

‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,”
he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. Matthew 4:1-11

So it seems to me that when Jesus teaches us to pray “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one“, He is sharing with us his experiences of being tempted by the enemy, especially when we are going through times of weariness and weakness.  

Knowing that Jesus shared our experience and understands our weakness can give us confidence in coming to Our Father in Heaven for help to resist the evil that would tempt us to turn from him.  As we pray the Lord’s prayer, also rest in the truth that Jesus is also praying in heaven for us.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16

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by Kathleen Petersen

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Matthew 6:13 NET

When I was young, my parents were involved with Freemasonry organizations. Both encouraged me to join Job’s Daughters, the Freemason branch for young women. I later learned, although this covert organization had biblical trappings, it was entry level occultism which I later renounced. However, the book of Job, the oldest book in Scripture, still intrigued me and his sufferings remain a mystery. Job’s story begins in Job 1:1-5 with describing him as a man who had been experiencing the Prosperity Gospel of his time.

Job was unaware he was about to encounter unprecedented torment because of the following conversation in the Unseen Realm.

One day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. The LORD asked Satan, “Where have you come from?”

“From roaming through the earth,” Satan answered him, “and walking around on it.”

Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? No one else on earth is like him, a man of perfect integrity, who fears God and turns away from evil.”

Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Haven’t you placed a hedge around him, his household, and everything he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he owns, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

“Very well,” the LORD told Satan, “everything he owns is in your power. However, do not lay a hand on Job himself.” So Satan left the LORD’s presence. Job 1:6-12 CSB

After this dialogue, Job’s circumstances morphed into a series of horrible nightmares. He had no scripture from which to draw strength. But he did have rich experiences of the goodness of God. In later chapters of the book, the words of advice from his wife and limited understanding of his best friends served only to increase his agony. In Job 19:22-24, Job expresses his longing for all their counsel along with his own words to be recorded for future generations. Guess what? He got his wish.

After his petition to record his experience for succeeding generations, Job’s next words express a sentiment that rings true through the rest of scripture.

But I know that my Redeemer lives,
and at the end he will stand on the dust.

Even after my skin has been destroyed,
yet I will see God in my flesh.

I will see him myself;
my eyes will look at him, and not as a stranger.

My heart longs within me. Job 19:25-27 CSB

Let that sink in! Job, who had no centuries of theological resources, placed his faith in the Unseen One who had always been good to him. He did not let his memory of God’s generosity vanish in the midst of humanly unbearable satanic persecution. In return, God did not permit Job’s faith to fail. Read this portion of Jesus’ prayer again:

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

God has been faithful to those who serve him throughout every phase of human history. It’s revealed in Hebrews 7:25 that Jesus, our Redeemer and High Priest, intercedes for us during every unanticipated test or temptation generated by the evil one. A reminder: 

Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely on account of me. Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way. Matthew 5:11-12 NET 

Are you or someone close to you suffering torment for no apparent cause? Pray this week’s portion of the Lord’s prayer and listen for scriptural insight. Don’t be in a rush for the response — leave room for a clear word from the Holy Spirit. God provides the same supernatural strength to us that he granted to Job.

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by Bruce Hanson

“And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:13

I know my high school English teacher probably wouldn’t like my use of But, But as a title, but let me explain. The first “but” refers to my writing assignment concerning the passage above. The second “but” was hand-delivered by the librarian at the Heavenly Public Library as I sat down to write. She reminded me of something we ought to “Post-It” in our brains. And yes, I was being noisy!! 

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

Living  and Active

What the librarian whispered in my ear was that I needed to slow down and ruminate. If you are like me, the Lord’s Prayer is something I memorized not long after I learned to talk. I have likely recited it many thousands of times. If I am not careful, it can simply slide off my tongue without making an impact on my mind or my heart. God’s Word is LIVING and ACTIVE. Every time I read it and all the rest of scripture, I should endeavor to read it as though I have never seen it before. It has the potential to be new every time. Now to the first “but” from the passage above.

What could possibly be the purpose of tying the two portions of the sentence above with the conjunction“but”.  If we flesh it out as is implied, it would say,
“But if He does”. The thing is, God doesn’t tempt. Numerous scriptures tell us that. Never. Never. So why did Jesus use the word “but”?

Let me start by saying that this is what God is telling me about Jesus’ use of the word “but”. He may have something else for you. The Greek word used here for temptation is the word peirasmos. If you look that word up in Strong’s Concordance, you will find three potential meanings that might be used in translation:  trial, testing, temptation. 

For me, if I employ the meaning of peirasmos as temptation, then that seems to contradict what I know about God’s character. But if I use it in the sense of testing, then things suddenly make sense to me. Not only do they make sense, but they also give me reassurance as I face the challenges of aging.
The GPB, the Grandpa Bruce Paraphrased edition of scripture would look like this:

“God, if I had my choice, I might choose to avoid all trials. Trials aren’t much fun, but if you do allow me down a path fraught with trials, please help me out the other side. I KNOW you will!!”

But, But 

“Testing, Testing”

Thank You Jesus

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